When it is first person POV and you say something like "Becky was jealous of Debby as she walked by and caught all the boys attention."
B) it provides comic relief at a tense moment
I think it is b. Most beautiful, as c and d don't make sense. A is a possibility, but I'm pretty sure it is b. Most beautiful.
The answer is: They needed the nation to hear and see their story.
In the excerpt from "We Shall Not Be Moved," the strikers need publicity so that everyone can listen to their claims. For example, the text mentions they need photographs and reports from eyewitnesses while they are persecuted aggresively by criminals and the police.